Manchester City suffered a shocking defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night as Bayern Leverkusen defeated Pep Guardiola’s side 2–0 in the Champions League. Guardiola made a bold decision to rotate 10 players from the previous Newcastle match, leaving only midfielder Nico Gonzalez from the last game.
The match began with Leverkusen taking the lead in the 23rd minute when Alejandro Grimaldo scored from a Christian Koufan pass. In the 54th minute, Patrick Schick added a second goal with a precise header, securing the German club’s victory. Despite chances for City, including opportunities for Nathan Ake and substitute Erling Haaland, the hosts failed to score.
Guardiola accepted full responsibility for the defeat. “All the responsibility is mine. The players performed wonderfully, but we didn’t have what is required at the top level,” he told TNT Sport. When asked about criticism for the mass rotation, he admitted, “If we had won, no one would have questioned it. Playing matches two or three days apart requires changes, but perhaps I went too far this time.”
This match marked Guardiola’s 100th Champions League game as a coach, making him the third manager after Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger to reach this milestone with an English club.
Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand praised his team, saying, “Whoever plays, the team performs. We did very well.” City will face Real Madrid away on 10 December in their next Champions League fixture. Guardiola commented, “We have time to prepare.”
Table: Key Match Events
| Minute | Event | Player/Team |
|---|---|---|
| 23′ | Goal | Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen) |
| 54′ | Goal | Patrick Schick (Leverkusen) |
| 65′ | Substitution | Erling Haaland (City) |
| FT | Result | Leverkusen 2–0 Manchester City |